why-mosquitoes-buzz-in-people_s-ears

WhyMosquitoesBuzzinPeople’sEars
Onemorningamosquitosawaniguanadrinkingatawaterhole.Themosquitosaid,“Iguana,you
willneverbelievewhatIsawyesterday.”“Tryme,”saidtheiguana.Themosquitosaid,“Isawafarmer
diggingyamsthatwereasbigasIam.”“What’samosquitocomparedtoayam?”snappedtheiguana
grumpily.“Iwouldratherbedeafthanlistentosuchnonsense!”Thenhestucktwosticksinhisearsand
wentoff,mek,mek,mek,mek,throughthereeds.
Theiguanawasstillgrumblingtohimselfwhenhehappenedtopassbyapython.Thebigsnake
raisedhisheadandsaid,“Goodmorning,Iguana.”Theiguanadidnotanswerbutlumberedon,bobbing
hishead,badamin,badamin.“Now,whywon’thespeaktome?”saidthepythontohimself.“Iguana
mustbeangryaboutsomething.I’mafraidheisplottingsomemischiefagainstme!”Hebeganlooking
forsomewheretohide.Thefirstlikelyplacehefoundwasarabbithole,andinithewent,wasawusu,
wasawusu,wasawusu.Whentherabbitsawthebigsnakecomingintoherburrow,shewasterrified.She
scurriedoutthroughherbackwayandbounded,krik,krik,krik,acrossaclearing.
Acrowsawtherabbitrunningforherlife.Heflewintotheforestcrying,kaa,kaa,kaa!Itwashis
dutytospreadthealarmincaseofdanger.Amonkeyheardthecrow.Hewassurethatsomedangerous
beastwasprowlingnear.Hebeganscreechingandleapingkiliwilithroughthetreestohelpwarnthe
otheranimals.Asthemonkeywascrashingthroughthetreetops,hehappenedtolandonadeadlimb.It
brokeandfellonanowl’snest,killingoneoftheowlets.
MotherOwlwasnotathome.Forthoughsheusuallyhuntedonlyinthenight,thismorningshe
wasstilloutsearchingforonemoretidbittosatisfyherhungrybabies.Whenshereturnedtothenest,
shefoundoneofthemdead.Herotherchildrentoldherthatthemonkeyhadkilledit.Allthatdayandall
thatnight,shesatinhertree‐sosad,sosad,sosad!NowitwasMotherOwlwhowokethesuneachday
sothatthedawncouldcome.Butthistime,whensheshouldhavehootedforthesun,shedidnotdoit.
Thenightgrewlongerandlonger.Theanimalsoftheforestknewitwaslastingmuchtoolong.They
fearedthatthesunwouldnevercomeback.
AtlastKingLioncalledameetingoftheanimals.Theycameandsatdown,pem,pem,pem,around
acouncilfire.MotherOwldidnotcome,sotheantelopewassenttofetchher.Whenshearrived,King
Lionasked,“MotherOwl,whyhaveyounotcalledthesun?Thenighthaslastedlong,long,long,and
everyoneisworried.”MotherOwlsaid,“Monkeykilledoneofmyowlets.Becauseofthat,Icannotbear
towakethesun.”Thekindsaidtothegatheredanimals:“Didyouhear?Itwasthemonkeywhokilled
theowlet‐AndnowMotherOwlwon’twakethesunSothatthedaycancome.”
ThenKingLioncalledthemonkey.Hecamebeforehimnervouslyglancingfromsidetoside,rim,
rim,rim,rim.“Monkey,”saidtheking,“whydidyoukillonofMotherOwl’sbabies?”“Oh,King,”saidthe
monkey,“itwasthecrow’sfault.Hewascallingandcallingtowarnusofdanger.AndIwentleaping
throughthetreestohelp.Alimbbrokeunderme,anditfelltaaaontheowl’snest.”Thekingsaidtothe
council:“So,itwasthecrowwhoalarmedthemonkey,whokilledtheowlet‐andnowMotherOwlwon’t
wakethesunsothatthedaycancome.”
Thenthekingcalledforthecrow.Thatbigbirdcameflappingup.Hesaid,“KingLion,itwasthe
rabbit’sfault!Isawherrunningforherlifeinthedaytime.Wasn’tthatreasonenoughtospreadalarm?”
Thekingnoddedhisheadandsaidtothecouncil:“So,itwastherabbitwhostartledthecrow,who
alarmedthemonkey,whokilledtheowlet‐andnowMotherOwlwon’twakethesunsothatthedaycan
come.”

ThenKingLioncalledtherabbit.Thetimidlittlecreaturestoodbeforehim,onetremblingpaw
drawnupcertainly.“Rabbit,”criedtheking,“whydidyoubreakalawofnatureandgorunning,running,
running,inthedaytime?”“Oh,King,”saidtherabbit,“itwasthepython’sfault.Iwasinmyhouse
mindingmyownbusinesswhenthatbigsnakecameinandchasedmeout.”Thekindsaidtothecouncil:
“So,itwasthepythonwhoscaredtherabbit,whostartledthecrow,whoalarmedthemonkey,whokilled
theowlet‐andnowMotherOwlwon’twakethesunsothatthedaycancome.”
KingLioncalledthepython,whocameslithering,wasawusu,wasawusu,pasttheotheranimals.
“But,King,”hecried,“itwastheiguana’sfault!Hewouldn’tspeaktome.AndIthoughthewasplotting
somemischiefagainstme.WhenIcrawledintoherrabbit’shole,Iwasonlytryingtohide.”Thekingsaid
tothecouncil:“So,itwastheiguanawhofrightenedthepython,whoscaredtherabbit,whostartledthe
crow,whoalarmedthemonkey,whokilledtheowlet‐andnowMotherOwlwon’twakethesunsothat
thedaycancome.”
Nowtheiguanawasnotatthemeeting.Forhehadnotheardthesummons.Theantelopewas
senttofetchhim.Alltheanimalslaughedwhentheysawtheiguanacoming,badamin,badamin,withthe
stickssillstuckinhisears!KingLionpulledoutthesticks,purup,purup,purup.Thenheasked,“Iguana,
whatevilhaveyoubeenplottingagainstthepython?”“None!Noneatall!”criedtheiguana.“Pythonis
myfriend!”“Thenwhywouldn’tyousaygoodmorningtome?”demandedthesnake.
“Ididn’thearyou,orevenseeyou!”saidtheiguana.“Mosquitotoldmesuchabiglie,Icouldn’t
beartolistentoit.SoIputsticksinmyears.”Nge,nge,nge,”laughedthelion.“Sothat’swhyyouhad
sticksinyourears!”“Yes,”saidtheiguana.“Itwasthemosquito’sfault.”KingLionsaidtothecouncil:
“So,itwasthemosquitowhoannoyediguana,whofrightenedpython,whoscaredrabbit,whostartled
thecrow,whoalarmedthemonkey,whokilledtheowlet‐andnowMotherOwlwon’twakethesunso
thatthedaycancome.”
“Punishthemosquito!Punishthemosquito!”criedalltheanimals.WhenMotherOwlheardthat,
shewassatisfied.Sheturnedherheadtowardtheeastandhooted:“Hoo!Hooooo!Hooooooo!
Andthesuncameup.
Meanwhilethemosquitohadlistenedtoitallfromanearbybush.Shecreptunderacurlyleaf,
semm,andwasneverfoundandbroughtbeforethecouncil.Butbecauseofthisthemosquitohasaguilty
conscience.Tothisdayshegoesaboutwhininginpeople’sears:“Zeee!Iseveryoneangryatme?”When
shedoesthat,shegetsanhonestanswer.
KPAO!